Magnetic muscle stimulating and arthritis therapy machine



Feb. 24, 1970 F. J. MUELLER ,4

MAGNETIC MUSCLE STIMULATING AND ARTHRITIS THERAPY MACHINE Filed May 4, 1966 r r w; T Zd m 6 N U U a M 2 n 1 MN F a w 1 i F6 2 5 w F 2 mm 2 x United States Patent 3,496,943 MAGNETIC MUSCLE STIMULATING AND ARTHRITIS THERAPY MACHINE Frank J. Mueller and George Mueller, both of 2147 Laura, Wichita, Kans. 67211 Filed May 4, 1966, Ser. No. 547,662 Int. Cl. A61h 1/00; A61n 1/36 US. Cl. 128-419 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Any one of four different types of electric discharges or currents is used in electrical therapy, which is the form of therapy the treatment or relief takes when electricity is the source of power. The four types of discharges or currents are static discharge, galvanic current, faradic current, and diathermic. It is the second of the four mentioned types of electric discharges or currents that is utilized in this invention. Although many different types of therapy machines have been invented from time to time, some of which may have even used a galvanic current in the operation thereof, none have been found to be completely satisfactory.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide an electric therapy machine, which we personally call a magnetic muscle and arthritis therapy machine, that provides relief from aching muscles and/or arthritis by means of electricity generated by an electrically motor rotated magneto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a magnetic muscle stimulating and arthritis therapy machine that contains a minimum number of components, all of which are enclosed in a case, thereby providing a lightweight, portable machine that can be carried with ease from one place to another.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a magnetic muscle stimulating and arthritis therapy machine having a variable output of electricity that is manually, adjustably controlled by means of friction gears.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent as the reading of the description of the invention proceeds and the appended drawing is examined.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of this invention with its case broken open in order to show the mechanism of the machine.

FIG. 2 is a top view of this invention with the top panel removed.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of this invention taken substantially along line 33 of FIGURE 2 and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of this invention ready for use.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the foot plates used with this invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of one of the foot plates of this invention taken substantially along line 66 of FIGURE 5 and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Looking at the first three figures of the appended drawing, it will be seen that this invention consists of a case 10 that is preferably made of highly polished wood 3,496,943 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 or Bakelite or the equivalent thereof. A magneto 11 is secured to the vertically disposed inward side 12 of the aforesaid case 10 in which is also located the electric motor 13 having a drive shaft 14, on the outer end of which is secured the small friction gear 15 that is in rotational contact with the large or first frictional gear 16 which is mounted on the outer end of the rotating shaft of the aforesaid magneto 11.

Directing ones attention to FIGURE 1 of the appended drawing, it will be seen that the aforesaid electric motor 13 is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced bearings 17 on the underside thereof through which passes the motor support rod 18 that has each end secured in one of the upper ends of the U-shaped member 19 that is bolted or otherwise secured to the bottom 20 of the aforesaid case 10. A hinge type of lever 21 is so connected to both the inside of the aforesaid case 10 and the electric motor 13 that by rotating the knob 22 that is located on the upper end of the vertically disposed shaft 23 that has its lower end secured to the aforesaid lever 21 that by rotating the knob one will move the aforesaid electric motor 13 either towards or away from the large friction gear 16, thereby either speeding up or retarding the speed of the magneto 11 to which the gear 16 is secured since the small friction gear 14 that is in rubbing contact with the gear 16 is secured to the shaft of the electric motor 13, as has been previously described in this specification.

A pair of hand electrodes 24 is connected by the electric wires 25 to the magneto 11. These hand electrodes may be replaced by the foot-plates 26 if it is so desired. The footplates are provided with clips 27 as one can clearly see by looking at FIGURES 5 and 6 of the appended drawing.

It is obvious to those experienced in the art of electrical therapy that we have herein provided a machine that when its hand electrodes 25 are either held in ones hands or they are placed in direct contact with various parts of the body and the electric motor 13 is connected to a source of current by means of the electric cord 28, and the switch 29 is placed in the on position, the electric motor will rotate the magneto, thereby generating electric current that is helpful to the human body in the easing of pain in the muscles and relief to the sufferers of arthritis and the like. The amount of electric current one receives is controlled by the previously described knob 22 of this invention. One or both of the hand electrodes 25 may be replaced by the foot-plates 26, if it is so desired. The foot-plates are of course connected to the magneto 11 by the same wires 25 and clips 27 which can connect hand electrodes 24 to foot plates 26.

The wiring diagram of this machine is well understood by those experienced in the art and for this reason is not shown in the appended drawing.

It is to be understood that this invention is subject to any changes and/or modifications that may fall within the scope and intent of the appended claims.

What we now claim is:

1. A magneto muscle stimulating arthritis therapy machine of the character described, comprising a support, a magneto mounted on said support, a motor mounted on said support, means connecting said magneto and said motor comprising, a first friction gear secured to said magneto and smaller friction gear secured to said motor, the rim of said smaller gear being in direct contact with the flat surface of said first friction gear, motor mounting means mounted on said support, said electric motor slidably mounted on said motor mounting means and said motor and said smaller friction gear movable thereon as a unit relative said first gear to regulate speed of said magneto, means to control the speed of the said magneto by moving said smaller friction gear near to or away from the center of the said first friction gear comprising, a hinge-type lever having one end portion pivotally connected to said motor and the other end portion'pivotally secured to said support, and a shaft projecting upward from said end portion of said lever secured to said support, said shaft having means in its outer end portion by which to rotate same to move said lever, motor, and said smaller gear, thereby providing a means of moving the said electric motor to thereby control the speed of said magneto, and a pair of electrodes connected to said magneto, said electrodes adapted to be placed in direct contact with the body of the person to be treated with the said therapy machine when the said magneto is activated by connecting said electric motor to a source of current.

2. The therapy machine of claim 1 wherein said support is a case, and said means mounting said motor is a 4 shaft rigidly mounted in said case horizontally and positioned substantially parallel to the flat surface of the said first gear, said motor being slidably mounted on the top of said shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 687,309 11/1901 Hempy 74l94 X 715,650 12/1902 En Holm 128--406 X 1,263,431 4/1918 Kellogg 128423 X 3,125,284 3/1964 Lawler 74-194 X WILLIAM E. KAMM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

